Future Combat Assessment
Abstract
For many familiar with air power, combat assessment is perhaps the least visible and least understood component of the six step targeting process used by airmen to plan and execute air operations designed to meet the objectives of a joint force commander. Yet the development and fielding of new generations of weapons combined with increasing expectations to minimize collateral damage is dramatically altering our ability to measure and assess the effects of these weapons. The purpose of this paper is to answer two questions, (1) How will future weapons impact combat assessment? and (2) How will success be measured? Chapter 2 will provide a sufficiently detailed background of current combat assessment doctrine and capability to understand how combat assessment fits into the targeting cycle and the air tasking order cycle used by air operations centers to plan and execute air operations. Chapter 2 will also introduce intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations used to collect the information required for combat assessment. Chapter 3 will survey current trends in new weapons and identify the challenges the capabilities of these new weapons will pose to combat assessment. Chapter 4 will build upon the information provided in chapters 2 and 3 and provide specific recommendations regarding where specific areas of technology and change to current doctrine can improve combat assessment to keep pace with future weapons. Finally, Chapter 5 will summarize recommendations and provide conclusions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA394552
Entities
People
- James F. Whidden Ii
Organizations
- Air War College